Research and innovation at Wintec

Research at Wintec is characterised by:

Applied research projects that are responsive to the needs of industry and communities and have a real-world impact.
Relationships of trust with local communities, including Māori and Pacific communities, as well as with a global network of research collaborators.
Rangahau, undertaken by Māori, for Māori, as Māori, and in pursuit of conveying a Māori empirical perspective of the world.
Transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary work that brings together a range of perspectives, knowledge and understanding to solve complex theoretical and practical challenges.
Collaboration across the institute and with national and global partners, with the dual aim of learning from best research and innovation practice at all levels, and projecting Wintec and New Zealand’s capabilities into the global arena.

In line with Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) requirements, our students benefit from our academic staff being active researchers who keep abreast of and contribute to knowledge creation in their respective fields.

The Wintec research aspirations go well beyond this. Driven by the research office, the institution proactively seeks to open spaces for research and innovation through:

A focus on the formation of transdisciplinary teams and research groups across the institution
Networking and development of collaboration opportunities, including through a research fellowship fund
Monitoring and identification of external funding opportunities and support to the proposal development process
An HRC-accredited Human Ethics in Research approval process and other processes in support of high-quality research
Profiling and sharing of Wintec research and researchers

Wintec participates in the New Zealand Government’s Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) mechanism. Wintec performance has improved markedly between the 2012 and 2018 Quality Evaluations (QEs), with highlights being a 61 percent increase in the number of researcher portfolios submitted and 127 percent increase in the number of portfolios receiving a rating. Our attainment in the External Research Income (ERI) component increased eight-fold, while Research Degree Completions (RDC) rose by 43 percent over the same period.

Human ethics in research

Wintec Ethics Screening Questionnaire

HERG Low Risk Ethics Application

Postgraduate study

Wintec offers postgraduate and master’s level programmes in media arts, sport and exercise science, midwifery, nursing and social practice, business informatics, and innovation.

As a postgraduate student, you will learn from the best and will be well supported throughout your studies by our experienced and respected supervisors, academic staff and dedicated support staff. The Wintec postgraduate programmes are designed with the 21st-century workforce in mind.

Find out more

Engineering conference to bring boost to Hamilton

Monday, 16 April 2018

Engineering is one of the Waikato’s most robust industries so it’s apt that the regions two largest educational providers Wintec and the University of Waikato have joined forces to host the AAEE conference

Engineering is one of the Waikato’s most robust industries so it’s apt that the regions two largest educational providers have joined forces to host the Australasian Association for Engineering Education’s (AAEE) annual conference in December this year.

Wintec and the University of Waikato will host AAEE’s 29^th annual conference on 9-12 December 2018. This is the first time the conference has been held in the Waikato.

Team manager for Wintec’s Centre for Engineering and Industrial Design (CEID) and AAEE Executive Committee member, Dr Trudy Harris is thrilled that the joint bid to host the conference in Hamilton was successful.

“It’s really exciting to bring this international conference to New Zealand and Hamilton. This conference is an important arena to share teaching practice and research in Engineering Education within Australasia. The changes we make today in our teaching will ultimately produce the engineering graduates of the future.”

The conference will be attended by around 250 engineering educators from universities, institutes of technology, Industry Training Organisations, industry, engineering professional bodies and secondary schools from throughout New Zealand and Australia.

The conference theme is ‘Future Engineer: Accounting for Diversity’ and the association is now welcoming conference submissions from those interested in presenting at the conference.

If you are an educator, employee or employer in the engineering and education community, and are interested in submitting a proposal, you can find more information here. The closing date for abstract submissions is 5pm on Friday 4 May.

Conference presentations and workshops will focus on teaching methods, theory, philosophy and application; student, academic and industry needs; cultural perspectives; and current issues such as catering to diverse needs and preparing students for the workplace.

Wintec will kick off the conference with registration and a traditional Māori welcome at our Rotokauri campus on Sunday 9 December.

You can find out more about the AAEE conference here.

More about AAEE

The Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE) is a professional association of academics, support staff, postgraduate students, librarians, professional engineers, and employers who all have vested interests in fostering excellence and innovation in engineering education.

The general mission of AAEE is to improve the quality, relevance and performance of engineering education in New Zealand and Australia.

Image: Wintec civil engineering students working on a project by the Waikato River in Hamilton.